Bail and pretrial detention reform in the lower criminal courts

• In Event: Assembly Line Injustice in the Lower Criminal Courts

Abstract

In many states, policy makers and practitioners are in the third wave of bail reform since the
early 1960s. This paper investigates what is known about state laws and local practices
governing bail decisions in misdemeanor courts, and the direct and collateral consequences of
these practices for defendants and the outcomes of their cases. Drawing on this review of
research, this paper discusses the public and private policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, highlighting the political
and commercial contexts in which proposed reforms are debated, and the challenges of reform that face lower courts.

Authors

• Alissa Pollitz Worden, University at Albany, SUNY

• Reveka Vladimirovna Shteynberg, California State University, San Bernardino